Thursday, July 19, 2012

I've been bitten...

by the knitting bug.

I'm convinced it isn't terminal, but honestly, I'm obsessed with it.  Currently I am staring at my project that I started on Monday night at my class.  It is almost done and I am already planning for the next project I am going to cast on.

I have a billion and one things to do today and all I want to do is sit here and knit.  I forced myself to go out a little while ago and take care of the yard.  It wasn't as bad as it sounds because of the high heat and lack of rain but there were a few places that were starting to look overgrown.

I need to do laundry, wash dishes, vacuum, clean the kitchen, make my bed, and clean the bathroom but all I want to do is knit.

It's a good thing I have all that yarn.

:)

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Catch up...

Hola!  It's me again!

Let's catch up, shall we?

  • I've decided not to care if I don't blog a lot.  It's summer, I'm on vacation.  I'll blog if I want.  And I won't feel (too) guilty.  :)
  • Sunday was my girl's birthday. She is THIRTEEN.  It's hard to believe that, especially when she romps through the yard barking her fool little head off at the helicopters.  She received a new squeaky toy and some treats for her special day.  The toy hasn't received much attention but boy, did she love those treats.  :)
  • My BFF's little girl's birthday was also on Sunday and she is also THIRTEEN!  That one is even hard to believe.  I remember when she was born and it just doesn't seem like thirteen years have gone by.  She is one awesome kid and I am blessed to be a part of her life.  :)
  • I took my lace knitting class last night.  While I was there I was extremely frustrated.  The teacher was good, it wasn't her fault, but the yarn they recommended was difficult to work with (although it has gotten better) and we were supposed to work on the project using the chart only.  I know that it is good to know how to read the chart but I really, really need to be able to see the written directions so I can get my mind wrapped around what I am supposed to be doing.  I made a mistake at the beginning (in the lace row) and she told me to just knit two together in the next row to get rid of the extra stitch, which I did, but by that time I was getting frustrated and discouraged.  Everyone else in the class seemed to be getting it and was sailing through the project, completing repeat after repeat, and I was still on row six.  The class was only two hours long which means NO ONE was going to get it finished; however, to finish the project we are supposed to kitchner the thing together.  She told us she wasn't going to demo the kitchner because we weren't going to get to it anyway and then gave us the name of a You Tube video to watch.  She did show us how to do a three needle bind-off, though, and said that would work just as well.  I came home and was still discouraged but decided to try it one more time before going to bed.  After I read the written directions, I figured out what I did wrong and then sailed through the next several rows.  Like I said, I know charts are good, and I know I need to know how to read them, but I really need to see the directions written out.  At least right now.
  • My vegetable plants are annoying me this year.  Both my cucumber plants are dead.  I've gotten one tomato and have another red one waiting for me.  There are several green ones but no new blossoms. The pepper plants have lots of blossoms but no peppers.  I'm about to give up.
  • The Olympics are only ten days away and football is only fifty days away!  Whoo-hoo!
Well, that about does it for now.  Consider yourself all caught up.

:)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

the invader and how miss raven dealt with it...

I've decided that my new theme song is "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson.

no explanation necessary.

(p.s.  i triple-puffy-heart love you, bff.  thanks for always, always being there for me!)

I do have a funny miss raven story....

The other night she needed to visit the yard.  I let her out and I noticed that there was something in our yard. Seems like someone kicked/threw/tossed an old soccer ball into the yard.  What happened next made me howl with laughter and made me wish I had brought my camera outside.  miss raven saw the "thing" from the porch and tore off down the steps to attack the invader.  her fur was standing straight up all the way down her back and she was barking like mad.  she ran up to the ball but stopped short and started circling it, facing it the whole time and still barking.  Of course I had to play this up.  I kept telling her to get it and she kept barking.  she finally got the nerve up to get a little closer and sniff it.  As luck would have it, she was on the opposite side of the ball from my foot so as soon as she got close enough, I nudged it with  my toe.  I swear that dog jumped six feet off the ground and she was madder than a hornet!  The barking started anew but this time she was hiding behind my legs and peeking around to "attack".

I really, really wish I could have video-taped the whole thing because it was just about the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.  :)

I made it to Michael's yesterday and picked up a couple of different cable needles.  These new ones are from Boye and have ridges in the middle that seem to hold the yard better.  I also finally used my Barnes and Noble gift card on another knitting book.  I really like this one because it has pictures that I can understand.  I started a new cable swatch and am really happy with it.  I have an idea floating around in my mind for a sweater for my girl.  I like the idea of a cable down the back of the sweater.  The only thing I'm not sure of is how to add little sleeves.  I am assuming I would need double pointed needles (DPNs) but haven't learned how to use them yet. I know how I would do the main piece and the under piece and I know how I would sew them together.  I'm even thinking about ribbing around the bottom and the neck.  We'll see.  Right now I am going to keep practicing my cables, though, and tomorrow I am going to sign up for the lace knitting class.

Keep cool today and guess what?  There are only 17 days left until the Olympics!!!!

Monday, July 9, 2012

It's raining, it's pouring...

miss raven is snoring...

no, seriously.  she is snoring.  and i love the sound.

:)

our heat wave from the last week-plus has finally broken.  yesterday it was so humid and sticky and muggy, i felt kind of like i was back in florida.  i tried not to go outside unless i absolutely had to.  it was literally hard to breathe.

storms came through early this morning.  i was woken up around three by thunder, lightening, and a terrified chihuahua.  she was frantic to get as close to me as possible.  the storm lasted for a while and my power flicked off once.  i prayed and prayed that it would stay on and thankfully, it did.

right now i am looking out my living room windows and watching the rain fall.  i'm sure my plants are happy, i'm sure my grass is happy, and i know i am happy.  i'm certain that miss raven is happy also because i am quite sure that she is getting tired of me plopping her down in the bathtub to wet her down with cool water to cool her off.

last week miss raven and i went on a little trip.  as a football lover i have ALWAYS wanted to visit the hall of fame so i thought to myself, "why not?"  i packed up the truck and miss raven and hit the road.  the HOF was great and my favorite part, of course, was seeing the bust of Troy Aikman.

:)

the next few days were kind of a whirlwind.  we went to buffalo (new york) to stay in a hotel, then i went over the border into canada (my first time!) to visit niagara falls.  that was pretty awesome!  the next day we drove to corning (also new york) and visited the glass museum there and watched the fireworks that night.  finally, while miss raven was chilling in the room, i went to hike watkins glen (full disclosure:  i took the shuttle to the top and "hiked" to the bottom), and took a boat ride on seneca lake.

friday we drove home.  it was a long drive and a long day but it was worth it.  we had a great time and it was nice to get away and see some things that i have never seen before.  miss raven was, as always, a wonderful travel companion.  :)

my knitting is going as well as can be expected, i suppose.  yesterday i spent the afternoon listening to a book on cd and teaching myself how to cable.  it wasn't as hard as i thought it would be but that dang cable needle is going to be the death of me as it keeps slipping out of my work and messing me up.  i am thinking about making a little trip to michael's today to see if i can pick up a different style of one.  later on this week i am going to visit my LYS to sign up for a beginning lace knitting class.  i am excited about that.  :)

i think it is about time for another cup of coffee so i will bid you adieu for now.  have a wonderful monday!!

Sunday, July 1, 2012

In which I proclaim my hatred of camping and my love of electricity...

I looked at the calendar this morning and realized, with some shock, that today is July 1.

How did THAT happen?

It feels like forever since school let out and believe me when I say that, aside from yesterday, I am thoroughly enjoying my summer vacation.  It has been hotter than the devil's left armpit outside and I am quite ok with that.  I'm not a fan of the oppressive humidity but I would much, much rather be hot than cold.  When I'm cold it is so hard to get warm again.

I didn't have any coffee yesterday and, by the time I finally fell asleep last night, I was battling a persistent headache.  Apparently I won because I did finally fall asleep.  I am now drinking my first of what I predict will be many cups of coffee and am also doing laundry.  I was up by 5:30 this morning because the power flickered again and something in my room beeped.  I couldn't go back to sleep because I was busy praying that the power would stay on.

I am such a big baby when it comes to electricity.  I get cranky when it goes out because I am so dependent on it.  I'm not ashamed to admit that.  There is no WAY I would have survived in the Little House on the Prairie days.  Heck, people who know me know my large aversion to anything remotely related to camping. God did not mean for me to sleep in a nylon enclosure on a cot/air bag/sleeping bag.  I don't intend to walk to a common shower area to take a cold shower or to share a communal toilet.  Yes, I am a spoiled American.  I like my creature comforts...indoor plumbing, electricity, fresh coffee, comfy bed, air conditioning.

Anyway.

The Olympics are coming up and I am insanely excited about it. My BFF and I L.O.V.E. the Olympics.  I can't even pick between the Summer or Winter because I love them both.  I am excited to watch the swimming and diving and gymnastics and beach volleyball and everything else.  Except maybe tennis and ping pong.  I get goosebumps when one of our Olympians wins a gold medal and the "Star Spangled Banner" is played.  Sometimes I even cry a little.  :o)  I'm such a sappy person.

My vegetable plants seem to be doing well.  I should go out and water them before it gets too hot.  It is supposed to be almost 100 degrees here today.  I have a teeny weeny cucumber and several cucumber blossoms, two green tomatoes and a handful of tomato blossoms, and three small green peppers and what looks like some pepper blossoms.  Sometimes I get a little discouraged because I don't think I am going to get much out of these plants.  This time last year I had already harvested several tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers.  I guess I'll have to wait and see.  I'm not a very patient gardener it seems.

My BFF's little girl will be 13 in 15 days.  THIRTEEN!!!  How the heck did THAT happen?  I want to get her a special present for her birthday.  Any suggestions?

miss raven will also be 13 in 15 days.  I love her so much.  Yes, she will get presents, and yes I will post pictures.  :)  she is also very happy the power is back on.  I think probably because I made her get in the bathtub three times yesterday so I could wet her down with some cool water.  I gave her extra treats last night to make up for the horror of it all.

I have now finished my first cup coffee and am going to make my second cup.  Enjoy your day and stay cool!